


More a Holdout Than a Bust

by Qrowbars



Category: RWBY
Genre: Angst, Background Bumbleby, Fluff and Angst, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mentions of Sex, Pre Volume 7 (RWBY), Tired Old Gay Men, Trigger warning: stitches
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-25
Updated: 2019-09-25
Packaged: 2020-10-27 21:35:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,862
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20767307
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Qrowbars/pseuds/Qrowbars
Summary: Qrow thinks that sometimes life is funny, and the person your ex-boss tells you to go deliver the lamp to is your boyfriend.Most of the time it's not, and the mask he wears every day to keep up the illusion can crumble in an instant.Qrow and the teams finally arrive in Atlas and he has to fill in James on everything that's happened.





	More a Holdout Than a Bust

**Author's Note:**

  * For [saunwolfgirl](https://archiveofourown.org/users/saunwolfgirl/gifts).

> There was no point to this, I have no idea where this went, all I knew is it had to get out before V7 crushes my heart.  
I wrote it because I could, and I wrote it because I thought I should see if I can even write creatively after the last 6 years were limited to lab reports and analytical papers.  
Thanks to the Qrow to my Ironwood, Blake to my Yang for ‘beta reading’ this, aka going 'YAS’ when I sent her pieces of it and then confirming I suck at staying in the same tense when writing.  
TW: Stitches referring to description of someone receiving stitches. Its not incredibly graphic but I'm warning you just in case.

Three weeks ago when he mailed it, Qrow really had hoped the letter had reached James before they did. Likelihood was low, but it MIGHT have helped them get into Atlas legally. Now? Now he really wished he'd never sent it. He’d wanted like an hour, even ten minutes to collect his thoughts, explain what happened, have given a recap to Oscar and Maria, maybe have showered so he wasn’t covered in sweat and grime. Crossing the border and immediately stepping in to help defend against a Grimm attack wasn't how he wanted to run into the General. 

One of the girls, Weiss, screamed in frustration, her sword cutting clean through the head of a beowulf as she dashed forward. Yang was handling herself, Blake was struggling without the use of her blade. Thankfully, her good aim meant the next three grimm ended up with slugs through their skulls. 

Ruby was fine, Maria had run to a safe spot because her eyes were on the fritz, Nora and Ren and Jaune were doing fine and- 

"UNCLE QROW WATCH-"

Qrow turned just in time to see a massive paw sweep through the air. He tried to block but missed by about two inches _ of course _ and searing pain ripped up his side. 

Qrow was thrown, sliding across the icy ground as the Grimm pursued. The bastard got him good but this time he was ready, and popped a shot out of Harbinger's barrel. The charging beast dissolved. 

"Are we good? I think we're good now." 

From the corner of his eye, he knew he shouldn't have said anything. An alpha reared its head. In his current spot on the ground he was a sitting duck, his reaction time was slow, and it was heading straight towards-

A massive bang rang out and it dropped to the ground lifeless. 

Everyone whipped their heads around to see the general, in all his neatly manicured glory, pistol held aloft. 

_ Oh thank fuck _ , Qrow thought as he slid back to the ground. _ I'm just going to lie here, that's fine. The ground is a nice place to be. Moving hurts. _

The General strolled up to him, waving aside Atlas military personnel who were circling the group. 

"Stand down, I should have told you I was expecting them."

"With all due respect General, this man is dangerous and he brought eight-"

" That's _ enough." _Oh, Qrow liked it when James used his commanding voice.

"....Yes sir. I'll have a report by morning." 

And then James was looking at him, eyes uncharacteristically concerned as he looked Qrow up and down. "I got a report of eight kids and two adults who landed with no clearance, and a second saying a pro huntsman with sword was spotted helping with the Grimm attack. Knew it had to be you." The huntsman’s brain was a bit fuzzy as he took in the words. 

"Awesome. Now, Jimmy can you help me up? I think the adrenaline took my legs with it on the way out." 

James rolled his eyes but grabbed a proffered arm and hoisted the man up, avoiding his injury which was dripping blood down his torso. Great. Not deep, but also just enough that he'd need to hold it shut before it could be healed. Aura wasn't an option until there was no chance of his bad luck causing imminent doom. 

Now that Qrow was vertical again, he surveyed the team. Tired but fine. The Belladonna girl was missing a chunk of her hair where something had gotten too close for comfort. Still had the broken sword. His nieces were exhausted, Yang still had her arm, Ruby was helping Weiss do...something.

Everyone was mostly in one piece. 

"...and I've made arrangements for everyone to be brought back to my house." Qrow snapped back to reality and flashed a smile, pretending he’d heard everything Jimmy had just said. It didn’t convince the General.

Once he was safely in the passenger seat of the private airship, unconsciousness followed. He knew it was bad, he should be monitoring the blood loss, but ten minutes couldn’t hurt right?

James just rolled his eyes, hoping that his sleeping passenger at least _ heard _ what he was saying before passing out. The answer was no, but he hoped anyways. 

* * *

Once they landed, two of the house staff helped the kids out, Oscar helping Maria as he was closer. James shook Qrow's shoulder. 

"Hey. Sleepyhead. Wake up." Was followed by a 'whazza?' from Qrow. 

" Come on, you need rest and probably a few stitches"

'Nah, I just need to put my aura up.” he winced. “I’ll do it when we get inside, don’t want anything going wrong out here.” He gestured to the hangar. James rolled his eyes at the stubborn huntsman, making to help him up but instead his hands got batted away.

“No, no, I’m not getting blood on your coat again, you bitched for hours about having to bleach it."

" You already got blood on it"

" Oh. Never mind then help me out of here."

James gave a deadpan glare, and hoisted the man up. 

"You're just being a big baby, put your aura up it's fine."

" 'S not, get me inside so I don't make like, the tires on this ship blow out by existing. ‘N stop giving me looks, use words. You know I like words." Even though they were getting closer to the house, Qrow never did find out how wide his semblance's range was. 

He was still rambling. "Heh, you're carrying me across the threshold. Am I your blushing bride now, General?" Qrow taunted and batted his eyes. The other was stony faced and not amused. 

"I'm going to drop you on purpose Qrow." 

“No you won’t, that’d make a mess.” James backed his way through doors to the bathroom, briefly considering using Qrow as a sort of battering ram. It would be satisfying, but he’d have to go back and wipe the face prints off the glass panes. 

* * *

Weiss had carefully sat down on a couch to rest, Ruby and Yang had done so less gracefully, to be honest. Blake took a seat on the carpet. The others had run off somewhere, maybe to shower off the grime of the last three weeks, James's house staff giving instructions as to where everything is. Guest rooms were already prepared, though they were two short and some would have to bunk together. Yang and Nora had assured the staff that it _ wouldn't be a problem _ with a wink. Someone on James's staff, Dion? Daio? Was putting out place settings and started serving bowls of solyanka.

Qrow had once remarked offhand it was weird _ how many _ staff James kept around for how private of a man he was, but it was helpful when people literally dropped in. Yang had to agree with him on that point. 

"Hey, where's Uncle Qrow?" Ruby questioned, breaking the comfortable quiet.

Yang cracked an eye open, food coma setting in on everyone. "The general took him off that way I think. Looked pretty funny." 

"Funny how?"

"Funny like Uncle Qrow is six something feet tall and the only guy we know taller than him is dragging him off."

"Pffft okay yeah that would be funny. Please tell me he was throwing a fit."

“I think he was half asl-”

A thump sounded through the wall followed by a hiss and a moan. Everyone froze mid movement, unsure if they should grab weapons and run in or if that noise was something they should be ignoring.

"Fucking _ Christ _ Jim you could've warned me!" 

“I did, sweetheart.”

“_ Shit- _ can you move _ faster _?

“No. Now _ behave.” _Another thud 

Ruby’s eyes were the size of dinner plates, Yang spared a glance towards Blake who was red as a beet. 

“Now im sure there’s an innocent reason-” Weiss was cut off by another incredibly loud moan followed by a strangled ‘ah’ in Qrow’s voice.  
Maria was chuckling, hands clamped down over Oscar’s ears as she escorted him out of the room. It wasn’t something the poor kid needed to hear, and if Ozpin was listening, he probably didn’t want to hear it either. 

The rest were too frozen by politeness and the sheer awkwardness of the situation to move. _ This is something you ignore, right? You don’t make it super obvious that you heard your hallmates doing the horizontal tango, so you don’t let your Uncle know you heard him banging the General of Atlas _. 

Of all things Yang had never wanted to know about. This was certainly on the list. This was certainly making the top of the list.

* * *

“Stop being so loud, everything carries on this floor.” James’ hands worked deftly with the needle driver and forceps.

“Stop _ touching _ there then!” He took a swig from his flask, the burn distracting for a moment. Fucking hell the original cut was less annoying than the needle, the same needle that was repeatedly being stabbed into his skin. How did he get tattoos but couldn’t stand getting _ stitches? _

James just grumbled in reply. “Sure, don’t touch the cut I'm supposed to suture. Perfect sense.”

Qrow was being dramatic as usual, but stitches were never fun anyways. He leaned over to press a kiss to the man’s temple, speaking softly. “Hey, I’m almost done. I’m sorry it’s taking so long, I just don’t want you to split all of them open at once.” _ Oh. _ Qrow forgot that James actually thought ahead, unlike most Atlesians. 

Then he was being wrapped in gauze and helped off the bathroom counter, destroyed shirt lying in the garbage and James’s coat draped over his good side. They made to go back to the frankly oversized living-dining-whatever James had called it room. 

“Now that you being stubborn cost us twenty extra minutes can we please eat?” Ironwood said over his shoulder to the man trailing behind before he found four sets of eyes on him. The faunus girl looked particularly red.  
“Is everything okay?”  
Team RWBY took in the general’s half dressed form and blushed even harder.  
“Where did you say I got blood on this? Are you just pulling my leg Jimmy?”

Qrow didn’t even notice the stares following him until he’d reached the kitchen, grabbed a bowl, and had a spoon halfway to his mouth.”  
“...What? I hate cleaning blood out of clothing. These stitches better not bleed, ya hear me?” The second half directed at the General, who was sneaking over to have food himself. 

A quiet, weak _ ohhhhhhhhhh _ emanated from Ruby.  
“Uh, nothing! Nothing’s wrong, um. We just uh, didn’t expect for your injuries to be this bad. But we forget that you don’t use your aura when you fight…” she trailed off. It was still awkward. James broke the silence.  
“Did you all eat enough? Daio show you to your quarters? We can get up to speed tomorrow and get your equipment tuned up. You all seem a bit worse for the wear, I’m sure some sleep will help as its rather late.”

A murmur of consensus went around and the girls moved to turn in. Weiss took a moment to give a curt bow and thank the General for letting them stay before everyone vacated and it was silent. 

Qrow was on his second bowl of soup. James walked up behind him and gently wrapped his arms around the shorter man. “You should get some sleep as well.” 

“Yeah I just… need a minute of quiet.”  
“Want me to leave you alone or do you want me to stay?”  
“God, please stay.”  
So James did, leaning in to press his temple to the other’s as the grandfather clock ticked the seconds away. The silence was comforting but liminal, Qrow’s thoughts burning in his head and threatening to break free. The hum of the incandescent bulbs kept him grounded, kept him from melting entirely into James’ embrace. Kept him from running away again. 

It was a long while before he spoke again, it was broken by a hoarse whisper.  
“Oz lied." His words were quiet and broken. James hummed and rubbed comforting circles into the other man's hip. 

"James, he's doing the same thing to Ruby and her team as he did to Summer and STRQ. And I can't do anything to stop it." 

"Qrow, look at me." His voice also quiet, afraid if he spoke too loudly the moment would be broken. He spun the other around to face him, Qrow's red eyes were shiny and wet and he couldn’t stop speaking.

“He never had a plan, he- He'd been lying to us since day one and I don't know what to do, he never had a way to defeat Salem or fix his mess, we have to go up against gods and I'm going to watch Ruby walk off to her death just like Summer did because she's a silver eyed warrior." He'd kept a brave face, hiding everything with humor and sarcasm to keep his own breakdown away from the others but his voice cracked as he opened up to the general, words spilling out as fast as his brain put them together. 

"I'm- I failed James. I couldn't keep her safe or keep her away from this mess. She's gonna end up just like Summer and It'll be my fault and I don't think I can take losing anyone else and- and. I failed her. I failed Summer, I failed Tai, I failed the kids so g-goddamn badly." 

James' heart broke as Qrow angrily wiped away hot tears and sobbed into his lover’s shoulder. Ozpin led them all along the same path, but he'd pulled Qrow out of the embers and gave him a purpose and direction. To hear it was all a lie, a half-truth dragged on for years, it was clear as to why Qrow was shattered. 

"I think… that we should go to bed." The General said, devoid of any underlying meaning. 

Qrow whispered a small _ okay _ and let the General lead him away. 

* * *

James Ironwood had thought it ridiculous when he moved in, that not only was the house _enormous_ but the bedroom was larger than needed for three people, let alone one. Three walk in closets, and the bathroom was the size of another bedroom with both a full standing shower and a tub that probably cost more than a month of a soldier's wages. He tried not to think about the last part or it would make him angry. Right now however he was grateful for the large shower, leading Qrow to it and softly kissing his forehead before turning to grab a shield for the stitches. It would be okay.  
He turned on the water before going to undress Qrow, taking care to slowly undo each button of the coat and place the clothes gently on the floor before removing his own.

It was near scalding to him, but James knew Qrow liked the water to be hot enough to melt bone. The general took great care lathering the others hair and working out the dirt.

Qrow let himself drift, leaning back to rest on the expanse of James’ chest and letting the searing water bring feeling back to his limbs. It would be okay. _ It would be okay. _

He still had to tell James everything Jinn had revealed, he still had to face the girls in the morning. He, no, _ they _still had to plan together what they were going to do next. But for now, as the last few weeks of grime were scrubbed away by mismatched hands, Qrow let himself go. 

It would be okay. 

Even as the water was turned off too soon for his liking, and James dried them both with the fluffiest towels known to man, he knew it would be okay. It had to be. One set of wings just wouldn’t be enough, but an air fleet had to count somehow. It just had to. 

The General handed Qrow a pair of his sweatpants, fully knowing the other wouldn’t wear any of the clothes he’d left here before. It was principle when sleeping in your boyfriends’ bed that you should steal his clothes and James hadn't won that argument before nor would he ever.  
He did win the argument of who gets to be the big spoon however, as his spine wasn’t as robust as Qrow’s, and as soon as James eased himself down into the mass of blankets Qrow was close behind.  
It had been close to a year since they’d been able to do this, since before Beacon fell, but the second he lay his head into the crook of James’ flesh shoulder, the time apart felt like only minutes.  
“I missed this.” He said.  
“I missed you.” A peck on the top of his head made him crack a smile.  
“Sap.”  
“I know.”  
A sigh. “I still have to tell you everything we saw.”  
“I know.”  
“Just… hold me. Please.”  
Arms snaked around his torso, pulled him almost too tight to the curve of James’ body. He could feel the heat radiating off his metal side, to where sometimes Qrow questioned if he was dating a man or a space heater.  
Maybe by simply being in those strong arms, he wouldn’t fall apart the moment he started to speak.  
Qrow hoped it was enough to hold him together.  
He told James every second of what happened since they’d parted ways last, jumping out of order as he the events came to the front of his mind. He spoke of his twin sister, who Maria _ really _ was, of the lamp Ruby carried, how he almost died in Mistral, and that the Atlas military should stop giving a woman named Terra Cotta-Arc a hard time. Told him of Jinn’s story, about how poor Oscar has Ozpin in his head, how Oz was really one person in a long line of other Oz’s, then of the Apathy and how he’d almost died again in Anima. James held him tighter at this part, afraid to let go as if the past could take his lover away.  
Qrow spoke of Leo, of the train ride, of Adam Taurus being removed from the earth. He spoke until his words were slurred from exhaustion and the hand running up and down his back lulled him into a dreamless sleep.

James Ironwood would keep the nightmares away.  
He always did. 

* * *

Morning came, unfortunate as it was. In his half-awake state, Qrow heard low whispers of James apologizing for his schedule, that he’d be back in a few hours, and that there was breakfast downstairs if he wanted any. He turned back into the still-warm blankets instead.  
Another hour later and Qrow dragged himself back to the land of the living, only one side of the bed warm. With a sigh, he pulled on a shirt and went to find some of that breakfast he hoped still existed.

* * *

Only Yang was awake, sitting at the _ frankly too large _ table by herself. A light silence settled over the two of them as Qrow sat down with a plate full of food. James had to attend some conference call, but he’d either forgotten with who or had flat out slept through those words. He hoped it wasn’t Schnee.  
“So.” Yang mused, sipping a cup of orange juice. “You and the general.”

Qrow froze, nearly choking on his coffee.

“That obvious?” He said sheepishly.

“Alright, I'll be honest, you hid it _ pretty well _. Didn’t notice until I picked up on how friendly he acted towards you, and then your bed wasn’t slept in last night. I just, sorta put two and two together and you just confirmed it.” 

He stabbed a piece of fruit. “You’ve got pretty good observational skills kid.”  
“You’re also wearing his pants right now”

“Ah. Yeah, that’s a pretty dead giveaway isn’t it?” Yang nodded as if to say _ just a little _ . “Well, that means the cat’s outta the bag now. I can count on you all to not go around telling _ everyone _ right? Don’t want his name in any more tabloids.”

“Uncle Qrow, such little faith in us!” Yang laughed. “Don’t worry. Though I guess we should have seen it coming, considering you’re the sterotypical disaster gay uncle anyways.”

“Hey, I’m the disaster _ bisexual _ uncle, thank you very much.”  
“Oh. Oh we know. We are related, if you didn’t remember.” A pause, and the realization hit Qrow. He looked back with a knowing look in his eye. 

“So it’s official between you and Blake?” Yang blushed a little.  
“Yeah. So, speaking of cats out of the bag… I can count on _ you _ to not go around telling everyone right?” They both made eye contact before bursting out laughing.  
“I gotcha kiddo, don’t worry. I'm happy for you.”  
“I'm happy for you too Uncle Qrow. It’s good to see you smile, you needed someone.”

“Yeah, we used to hate each other, its kinda funny. Well, really we were both just too damn stubborn to admit if we were wrong, or needed help, and wouldn’t look at anything from someone else’s perspective, or let anyone in.”  
“What changed?”

Qrow paused. What _ had _ happened? Thoughts of the Vytal festival, Penny’s tragic loss of life, both of _ their own _ near loss of life…

"Mostly him going down in a plane gave us both a reality check. That's actually when I found out how much metal he had in him, come to think of it. He hid that from us for eight years." He mused. "Anyways, he walked off a plane crash, strolled in, badass and half metal, and blew off the heads of like seven knights with the dust half of his weapon 'cause he was pissed. The whole incident made me realize he wasn't so much _ cold _ but guarded, and we were both just trying to do things how we knew. " _ Also didn't help he was hot as fuck. Already had that chiseled face, but he rolled up with abs of granite and whirring gears? And _ ** _then _ ** _ you're shooting one of the world's only dustpowder weapons? Unfair. _

“We talked before he had to leave for Atlas again, managed to put five years of bickering and feelings into words. I flew over once between the border being closed, and Ruby waking up. God that….sounds like the plot of a bad romance novel doesn't it?" He chuckled, and then a question crossed his mind.

“Wait. What was it you guys were freaked out about the first night we got here? Ruby looked like a tomato when I came in.”  
“Oh, uh.” Yang hid her face behind her hand. “We thought you two were having sex in the next room.”  
“What?! Why?”  
“Hey, in our defense, all we heard was ‘move faster’ and moaning. Then the General comes out missing clothes, and until you started talking about stitches, we were like ‘oh god they’re fucking’.”

Qrow snorted. “Nah kiddo, that was later, so-”  
“ _ Ew ew ew _ this is even worse than stories about you hitting on innkeepers!” They both dissolved into laughter and Qrow felt a genuine smile cross his face.

Maybe everything _ would _be okay. 

  



End file.
